Debbie Reynolds: The Men, the Mystery, the Mother!

She passed away recently, a day after her daughter Carrie Fisher. While not the official cause of death, it is evident that she died of heartbreak and sadness.

Debbie Reynolds started starring in movies in the 1950s while still in her teenage years.

She was recognized for her bubbly and bright on-screen persona, for being one of Elizabeth Taylor’s best friends, and for being married to the man who would later leave her for Elizabeth Taylor, in one of the worst betrayals in the history of Hollywood.

Heartbreak Central

“Debbie was a fine companion with a good sense of humor”, says her Celebrities Galore profile. So why did she never find the love of her life, despite trying her luck with marriage thrice?

Debbie herself chalks it all up to plain old bad luck!

She married Eddie Fisher in 1955 and he decided to leave her after two children, for actress Elizabeth Taylor in 1959. The children were named Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher. Carrie later found fame for playing Princess Leia in Star Wars and Todd became an acclaimed filmmaker.

Later on, Reynolds married Harry Karl in 1960 and Richard Hamlett in 1973. Both these men hurt Reynolds financially, with Harry Karl driving her to completely financial ruin, where she had to survive with two children in the back of a car for several weeks.

In all her interviews later, Debbie blamed herself for having bad taste in men, and simply chalks it all up to bad luck! She even made things better with Elizabeth Taylor after she divorced Eddie Fisher!

A Loving Mother, First And Foremost!

Reynolds died December 28th 2016 at the age of 84. That day she had told her son, “I miss her so much, I want to be with Carrie,” as he later told TMZ. And a few hours later, she passed away after a stroke. They loved each other until the end, perhaps because despite all their differences Debbie and Carrie were alike in many ways. Both were unlucky in love, single moms trying to fight the world, and using humor as their weapon of choice to combat the naysayers.

The Mystery:Humor Got Her Through It!

Hollywood’s sweetheart, Debbie Reynolds had a secret talent. She could get anyone to laugh. That’s how she fought back. She would say, “If my life wasn’t funny, it would just be true, and that’s unacceptable!”

Nothing really fazed her. Whether it was Carrie’s drug abuse in her younger years or the time Todd shot himself in the leg using an unregistered gun.

Reporters speculated whether it was all a publicity stunt, to which she succinctly replied, “Yes, it was, which I hope works because I only have one more child to shoot!”

Her wicked sense of humor will be remembered long after the pain of her and Carrie’s death has been forgotten. And there couldn’t possibly be a better epitaph for a resilient woman and wonderful mother like Debbie Reynolds.